MADRID, April 12 (Reuters) - Espanyol put aside relegation
worries to clinch a scintillating 4-1 win over favourites Real
Zaragoza in the King's Cup final at the Bernabeu on Wednesday.
Midfielder Ivan de la Pena masterminded the victory for the
Primera Liga strugglers by setting up three goals, while striker
Luis Garcia weighed in with a classy double.
It was the fourth time the Barcelona-based club had won the
knockout competition, their last victory coming six years ago
against Atletico Madrid.
The victory sparked wild celebrations from the assembled
Espanyol fans who have spent much of the season worrying about
the threat of losing their top flight status.
'I've spent over 40 years dreaming about a trophy that
captured my imagination when I was a young Athletic Bilbao fan,'
said Espanyol coach Miguel Angel Lotina.
'At last I've got the Cup I've wanted so much.'
For Zaragoza, who were reduced to 10 men in the final 20
minutes after keeper Cesar was sent off, it was a disappointing
end after their team had promised so much by eliminating
Barcelona and Real Madrid in earlier rounds.
The teams were given an ear-splitting reception from the
70,000 fans who had converged on the Bernabeu and they responded
with a suitably high-decibel start.
Zaragoza midfielder Oscar enjoyed the first chance after
just 30 seconds when Ewerthon picked him out with a neat
through-pass in the area, but he sent his shot into the arms of
keeper Carlos Kameni.
Less than a minute later Espanyol snatched the lead after
they were awarded a free kick in a central position some 25
metres from the goal.
De la Pena slammed a fierce dipping shot onto the crossbar
and skipper Raul Tamudo reacted sharply to head the rebound low
past Cesar.
Tamudo also grabbed an early goal the last time Espanyol won
the Cup in 2000, when he scored the opener in their 2-1 victory
over Atletico.
Zaragoza appeared unnerved by the early setback, but with
midfielder Cani at the helm they gradually settled into their
rhythm and started creating more danger around the Espanyol
area.
The equaliser came just before the half hour with Ewerthon
scoring his eighth goal in the competition in a goalmouth
scramble after Oscar had headed an Albert Celades free kick back
across the area.
But Espanyol, who knocked out Getafe, Cadiz and Deportivo
Coruna on their way to the final, took just four minutes to
restore their lead.
Once again it was the outstanding De la Pena who had a hand
in the goal, this time when he released Tamudo with an excellent
ball down the left.
The Espanyol skipper swept a perfectly weighted cross into
the area and Luis Garcia got between the two Zaragoza
centre-backs to bury a powerful header past Cesar and make it
2-1.
Zaragoza took the game to Espanyol in the second half and
Kameni was given several scares as Cani pumped a stream of
dangerous crosses into the area.
But Espanyol centre-backs Albert Lopo and Daniel Jarque were
outstanding as they kept Zaragoza's potent strike force of
Ewerthon and Diego Milito at bay.
Zaragoza's hopes of turning the game around were ended when
Cesar earned himself a second booking after he lost his cool and
threw a flag back into the crowd.
It was an ignominious end to a third Cup final defeat for
the keeper who was on the losing side when he played for Real
Madrid in the 2002 and 2004 finals.
A minute later midfielder Ferran Corominas raced on to a
first-time pass from De la Pena and finished off with a cool
shot underneath substitute keeper Raul Valbuena.
Luis Garcia compounded Zaragoza's misery with a low drive
from the edge of the area four minutes from time.
